Have we emerged from political morality warp

Spectrum, by Rudy Wittshirk

The Ogan recall movement indicates that Mat-Su Valley may be emerging from a political morality warp. Once upon a time, Valley voters thought they could judge political integrity by ideological purity. Competence, character and intelligence were subordinate to the right beliefs.

This ideological conformity fostered political mediocrity. When Sen. Lyda Green failed to accomplish the simple task of filing on time for reelection, fellow legislators passed a special bill allowing her to run -- and she was reelected. When Rep. Vic Kohring established a household in Portland, Ore., voters reelected him anyway. Rep. Beverly Masek, absent more often than present in Juneau, was still reelected.

Valley legislators displayed no reciprocal moral obligation to such a generous constituency. They did, however, resolutely honor every desire of the corporation that had hired Sen. Scott Ogan as a "consultant." They "fast-tracked" legislation designed in consultation with Evergreen Resources to ensure that coal-bed methane drilling would begin before local residents realized their neighborhoods were being penetrated.

Valley legislators must have known that few Alaskans would accept involuntary leasing of private property without a fight -- so they enacted legislation to remove the final layer of local, political protection and representation for property owners.

How could legislators, so intimately aware that Valley residents regard private property as almost sacred, dismiss local residents like a nuisance? They probably thought people would be swayed by promises of "jobs" and tax relief. Perhaps people in Wasilla and other urban centers would fail to understand that their own recreational areas, cabin sites or future home sites -- as well as the communities of their rural neighbors -- are also subject to industrialization without representation. Most property owners still haven't been individually notified that their lands are leased for development.

Drilling advocates claim that lease area property owners are upset merely because they didn't realize who owned subsurface rights. However, the people "own" the "Owner State" -- not the politicians or the resource extractors. It is the devious politics behind the state-sanctioned industrial acupuncture of private property and neighborhoods that makes local residents ornery. Mat-Su legislators legislated their constituents right out of the process of developing their own resources.

A few methane advocates actually claim to welcome industrial sites on their property. They blame the furor on "misleading information" spread by the usual suspects, "environmentalists."

Neighbors who don't want drill rigs and pipelines for lawn ornaments are depicted in simplistic, ideological stereotypes: "anti-development," "progressive," "liberal" and "environmental extremists." Oafish epithets like "greenie-activist-parasites" and "body lice on caribou" appeared in a letter to The Anchorage Daily News.

Apparently, conflict of interest is acceptable to certain individuals, politicians, developers, merchants, utility companies, contractors and realtors who stand to profit from the exploitation of public or private lands and resources -- whether or not the public ultimately receives a return on its investments.

In any case, concerned Valley residents of all political persuasions joined together in an unprecedented grass roots movement against the CBM threat. They developed technical information the politicians, state and industry had neglected, exposed the state's regulatory gap, exposed the loss of local representation, exposed the preemptive leasing of private property, and communicated their findings through the media.

Economic findings showed that CBM could enrich Evergreen but leave local neighborhoods bearing the social, economic and environmental impacts -- and the state with hardly enough money to fund oversight. This alone justifies buying back leases that were sold dirt-cheap. But Gov. Frank Murkowski chose to reward industrial influence and underhanded politics by dismissing a buyback for want of some unspecified "last resort."

A classic, dictionary-definition of "conflict of interest" is being consummated. Nothing has really changed. Valley legislators are still pursuing, with minor modifications, an agenda worked out in consultation with Evergreen. Proposed state legislation to "protect property owners" is cosmetic and motivated by fear of the ballot box.

The only meaningful legislation, the Homer Area Lease Buyback (House Bill 364), was not allowed to "move" (with its essential "buyback" provision intact) by Rep. Vic Kohring's Oil & Gas Committee. Rep. Kohring continues to blame the Constitution -- not the availability of neighborhood infrastructures for the drive-up convenience of core hole drillers -- for leasing his constituents' private property.

He resists restitution because any buyback would prove he could have exempted residential and recreational areas from subsurface leases in the first place -- had he so desired.

While legislators are applying political inertia to wear down their constituents, Evergreen is using paid public relations spokespersons to distract the public.

Meanwhile, local residents are still devoting considerable personal time and energy to inform neighbors, attend public meetings, and organize efforts to take back their government from corporate influence.

Will legislators have the moral courage to admit their mistakes by rectifying offenses against property owners? Will legislators give up their closed door meetings? Will legislators shift their loyalties from industrial interests back to the people? Probably not.

Sen. Ogan shows every intention to continue honoring the same conflicted, corporate interests that made the public angry with him in the first place. His repentance for "poor judgment" was motivated by fear of recall. He has admitted to no specific offenses. He has offered no restitution.

Sen. Ogan pleads innocent by reason of good intentions -- but he had been privately warned by fellow politicians that his Evergreen employment would not endear him to voters. Yet he still insists that "proudly" sporting an Evergreen jacket in public shows his honesty. It may simply indicate he has achieved the limits of his moral aptitude.

Will the public have the moral courage to "fast track" Sen. Ogan out of office? Since political conflict of interest with private business appears to have reached epidemic proportions, other Alaska politicians are undoubtedly watching the progress of this unprecedented recall effort with keen interest.

Rudy Wittshirk is a Willow resident.